Carter had eaten worse dinners in his life. A man didn’t spend years in the Army without learning how to survive on questionable rations.
It was the thick slice of Humble Pie that he was having a hard time swallowing down.
He looked across the table at Ally as she finished off the last of her dessert of berries and cream. She’d even shared a bite, passing her spoon across the table for him. He’d almost waved it off, but instead he’d wrapped his hand around her wrist, steadying her hand as he drew the sweet strawberry into his mouth.
She’d been right. He’d been treating her like a pawn, but not for the reasons that she thought. It was because that was the only way he knew how to keep people safe. If he could coordinate their movements, if he could fit them into a bigger plan, if he could just control them, he could keep them alive.
It was everything that he’d been trained to do. And he knew how effective it could be. He’d never put his safety above his men’s, and their loyalty and brotherhood had been his reward.
But as Ally had made it clear, she wasn’t one of his men.
Hell, she wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met before. And she was right. She deserved everything she’d demanded.
Even if she had stuck him with a bowl of spare squid parts for dinner.
Her spoon rattled against the bottom of the porcelain dessert cup as she went in for another swipe.
“You know, you can order another one of those if you like,” he said, putting his napkin down on the table.
“No I can’t.” She looked up at him like he was crazy. “Nobody orders two desserts.”
“I could order it for you,” he offered.
She shook her head and plopped the spoon down in the dish. “No, I’m good.”
“Then, shall we?” he asked, pushing back his chair to stand.
He watched as Ally gave one last sneaky glance to the empty bottle of wine that was sitting on the table. Between the two of them, that poor soldier had fallen long ago.
He put his arm out for her. “I can have them send up another bottle to our room if you’d like.”
She shook her head before slipping her arm slowly into the crook of his. Her side grazed against his as she stood. The slight touch was enough to send a shockwave of heat clear through him.
Ally tilted her chin up to look him in the eye. “That might not be the best idea.” Her voice was low, raspy…and it wasn’t doing anything to cool the fire inside him.
He wasn’t so sure. It might be the best idea he’d had all night. Something told him her lips still tasted like strawberries and her body…well, that promised to be a hell of a lot sweeter. Carter could only imagine what she would sound like when he wrapped his lips around her—
His phone chimed from his jacket pocket.
He pulled it out and looked down at the screen. The message was from Charlie.
Cracked the drive. Finally. We need to talk. Meet in ten?
Carter let out a long breath. She’d had the thing for over twenty-four hours and she had to break the code now? Not in two hours?
Carter looked into Ally’s wide blue eyes.
Make that three. Three hours would have been good.
First level of the garage. By the stairwell. He texted the directions to meet outside.
“Who’s that?” she asked.
He was about to tuck the phone back in his pocket before she could see out of habit, but he stopped himself.
“Charlie,” he said, turning the screen so she could see.
She quirked a smile. “I would have believed you, you know.”
“Before or after I stomached another horrendous dinner?”
She shrugged. “You said you loved calamari.”
“And you said you didn’t want another dessert,” he said, slowly walking her toward the front of the restaurant. “Seems like we’re both fond of our little white lies.”
“So Charlie’s found something,” Ally said as they stepped into the bar area. She almost sounded nervous.
“Sounds like it.” Carter put his free hand over hers. “I told you she was good.”
Carter’s gaze was drawn to her face as she smiled. “At least you were telling the truth about that.”
A second later, the smile disappeared. Her eyes went round, and her step faltered. Carter followed her line of sight…to Lucas Addams walking down the hallway into the restaurant.
He was with a group of three other people—a business group coming in to have dinner, probably. And he and Ally were directly in their path.
Lucas hadn’t noticed them yet. He was deep in conversation with a woman wearing a dark blue suit. Lobbyists, no doubt.
Carter looked around. There weren’t many escape routes to choose from. They could turn around and walk back into the bar, but that would only buy them a couple of seconds at most. There was a small alcove right outside the restaurant door, but it was too shallow to hide in. Besides the lights in the hallway were too bright to make the corners dark enough to disappear into.
He had to do something. Any second, Lucas was going to lift his head and spot them.
Screw it. They’d go back through the restaurant. Maybe he could sneak Ally through the kitchen doors before Lucas noticed. There had to be a staff exit through there, and they could follow it out through the street.
Even if Lucas did recognize them, he wouldn’t follow, not surrounded by lobbyists. He’d be forced to play it cool. And maybe, just maybe, that would mean Carter would have time enough to get Ally out of there.
Carter tightened his grip on Ally’s arm He was about to turn when she tugged on him hard, pulling them into the alcove. Before he could wrench her back out, she turned her back to the hallway and threw her arms around his neck. Then she lifted herself up on tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.
***
Carter Page 15
